New forces to block Gus Dur's supporters

New forces to block Gus Dur's supporters

JAKARTA (JP): A group of influential Muslim clerics and
organizations in East Java launched on Thursday the Ukhuwah
Islamiyah Forum (FUI) which aims to promote peace and national
unity and pledges to prevent President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur"
Wahid's fanatical followers from thronging the capital.

FUI chairman KH Nur Muhammad Sholeh was quoted by Antara as
saying that thousands of FUI followers would be deployed as
"peacemakers" in several cities in Java to lobby and prevent
ardent fans of Abdurrahman from coming to Jakarta ahead of the
April 30 Plenary Session at the House of Representatives (DPR).

"We will persuade Gus Dur's followers peacefully not to come
to Jakarta. So far we have managed to hold thousands who were
coming from Pasuruan ... only hundreds of them will visit
Jakarta," Nur said.

The group also intensively lobbied supporters of Amien Rais'
National Mandate party (PAN) and Akbar Tanjung's Golkar party, he
said.

President Abdurrahman, founder of the National Awakening Party
(PKB), is the influential patron and former leader of Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization in the country.

His followers have threatened to throng Jakarta and occupy the
House if legislators impose a second memorandum on him.

The newly established forum consists of several prominent
Muslim organizations in East Java such as Muhammadiyah, Al-
Irsyad, Persis Bangil, The Big family of the Indonesian Muslim
Student Association (PII) and the Association of Indonesian
Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI).

Signing the forum's declaration were KH Nur Muhammad Sholeh of
Al-Ainul Bashiroh Islamic boarding school in Kepanjen, Malang;
Fasich (Muhammadiyah), Ust Hud A Musa (Persis Bangil), Drs HM
Yahya Mansur (PII), KHM Dhoveir Sah (PII) and several Muslim
organizations from Jombang, Malang, Gresik, Mojokerto, Lamongan,
Blitar and Trenggalek.

The forum is said to have received support from NU Kyais in
East Java, KH Miftahul Akhyar and KH Yusuf Hasyim, from Tebuireng
Islamic Boarding school in Jombang.

Similarly, in Jakarta, a group of Muslim clerics gathered at
the Sunda Kelapa grand mosque in Central Jakarta on Thursday,
urging peace and calm in the capital ahead of the April 30
plenary session.

"We are urging the NU's supporters not to throng the capital
so as to avoid possible chaos ... we urge every member of the
elite to think with a cool head. It would be better if the NU
mass prayer be held simultaneously throughout the country and not
only be concentrated in Jakarta," Djaelani, one of the figures
attending the event who is also Jakarta's deputy governor for
administrative affairs, said as quoted the SCTV private
television channel.

In Surabaya, the chief of the East Java Police's Operation and
Control Unit, Sr. Comr. Sabur W.S., said on Thursday that a total
of 8,000 police officers were ready to be deployed in an effort
to prevent President Abdurrahman's die-hard followers from
flocking to the capital.

"We will conduct intensive search operations and weapons
checks at certain points such as in public places, train and bus
stations, and entry and exit points," the officer said.

The number of police personnel to be deployed could be
increased to up to 12,000 men, he said.

"But, hopefully we won't have to deploy any more officers if
the leaders of all military-style training camps are willing to
halt their activities," he said, adding that the Police were
working on persuasive measures to bring this about. (nur/edt)